Friday, March 12, 2010

This year I was in charge of the Special Award Ribbons for the Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild's 30th annual show that begins Friday, the 19th and runs through the weekend in Maryville, Tennessee. Previously, I had designed and made all these award ribbons for our 2007 and 08 shows. This year I invited other talented members in our guild to help by designing rosettes for nine of the thirteen awards that I constructed for this year's show.

Sheila Rauen created the "Just For Fun" rosette with applique and machine embroidery. Bridgette Matlock machine embroidered and painted the "Surface Embellishment" award. While Tone Haugen-Cogburn created the rosette for the "Innovative Design" award.

Linda Roy designed and hand-stitched the "Hand Workmanship" rosette and Loretta Painter designed and machine stitched the one for "Machine Workmanship".

Patty Ashworth designed and hand-quilted the "Novice Quilt" award that goes to a first made quilt among all the entries in the show. Gloria Felter made a basket block for the "Traditional Design" award. Melissa Carter designed and stitched the rosette for the "Scrap Quilt" award.

This year a special award is given in honor of our long-time guild member, Irene Wylie, who passed away recently. The rosette was designed and made by Tone Haugen-Cogburn. Our Thursday Bee sponsored the award money for this one.

I designed and stitched four rosettes. There are flower petals both under and on top of tulle netting in those that have blossoms. These two for the "Judge's Choice" and the "Viewer's Choice" awards.

And these for the "Best of Show" bed quilt and wall quilt.

There are instructions for how I made these ribbons here where they can be downloaded to your computer as a PDF file and printed out. A major thing that I now do differently is to print directly on the satin ribbon rather than onto a "T-shirt Transfer" that got ironed on. I also fuse two layers of the satin ribbon together before constructing the award ribbon.

To see photos of the SMQ Show special award ribbons I've made in previous years go here for 2007 and here for 2008.

There should be an award for award ribbons! They are so varied and each of them is a little work of art. It's easy to recognise your work in the one's you designed. They are all so much more special than the mass produced rosettes and will be greatly prized by those who win them. Well done everyone who had a hand in producing them.

These ribbons are awesome! This could be a real money saver for my guild. Would you please elaborate on the new technique? Do you somehow run the ribbon through the printer? And, what is the reason for doubling the ribbon? Inquiring minds want to know :) Thanks Nellie!